Shooting for March...

Everyone is asking, "When will you be finished with your house?" "Have you moved in yet?" "How much longer?" Realistically, (sorry David!) I believe it will be sometime in March. Things are moving a little slower than I think David would like. The final touches are being done with the kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. When this is complete, plumbing, electrical, marble counters, tile and back splash and final painting can be finalized. It is sort of a stepping stone process with one thing dependent upon another. Paint colors have been selected and are being applied throughout the week-end to get ahead. You have to love the parties that name these colors. I have selected everything from Back Porch, Coventry Gray, and Marry Me. Yep, I don't get it either. Just wait for the pictures! Another new addition is a new white curb side mailbox. I have learned the hard way of the new policy in Troy proper, that any new transfer of ownership for residential property, will have a curb side mail box, in lieu of the attached door to door walk up delivery for the mail. Not sure why cities like Charlotte can accommodate the walk up postal service but Troy cannot. That will be one of the urban mysteries that I guess will not be solved. As work continues, everyone is working hard and shooting for March!

The things to come...

As we near the final days of the Russell Street project, it is becoming exciting every day to see what has happened.

As the bathrooms start to take shape with the tub and lavatories being installed, the kitchen, is looking great. Months ago, David and I ventured all over Charlotte hunting and scoping out all of the elements that would someday be housed at Russell Street. These are the appliances that will be there. The two drawer KA dishwasher will save water and energy as we only can fill up one drawer for lighter loads. The drawer microwave will free up counter space and is very user friendly for ease and access to whatever you are heating up. Then there is the Sub-Zero counter depth refrigerator with panels that are to be painted to match the gray cabinets. The last element, yet to be selected is the 36" dual fuel range and hood. So many choices and opinions about those is making it a little difficult to decide. I can smell the "Sweet Potato Casserole" and the Pecan Pie now!

Just outside from the kitchen, there is a laundry room that will house the LG Steam washer/dryer. If you got to do laundry, it might has well be fun, well as fun as it can be.

The pedestal tub and undermount sinks and vanities in the lower Master Bath will provide a traditional look in line with the period of the house. A pedestal sink in the upstairs guest bath will be less confining and again keeping in the period. The upstairs Master Bath is being finished out with a dark cherry cabinet, white porcelan large tile shower and picture frame molding all around the room that is making it more like a library than a bath room which is exactly what I was going for. I almost failed to mention the downstairs powder room which has the euro styled wall faucets feeding into a round onyx vessal that is most likely going to sit on a black chinese cabinet.

Cabinets...not Obamas' Ours!

Today was a very busy day at the house. What you are seeing in the kitchen and the downstairs master bath vanity. The shelf unit in the kitchen is going to be nice for cookbooks and some local pottery. The kitchen is taking shape and looking great. More good news is that the tub, and the rest of the plumbing is in and scheduled to be delivered this coming Monday. At that point, rooms will start to look like what has been planned for months. A special thanks goes out to Mrs. C. for the very special gift that was delivered last week. All of the friends and neighbors of Ms. Haywood have been so generous with special memories and mementos. Trust me they will all find special places in the house very soon. I love to hear the stories and get to know Ms. H. in their own way.

Effect...Affect, Grey...Gray!

Okay, I can admit when I make a mistake. You know how there are some words with very different meanings but sometimes are used incorrectly. Some of my personal challenges are effect...affect and most recently, grey...gray! The new kitchen is G R A Y! Previous post have been mistakenly referred to as grey! Ooops! My bad!

At any color, I am very happy with the result. This is making way for the new appliances, white marble (there is some discussion how to spell carrara or carrera marble) the new cherry island with black granite top, farm sink and 2 drawer dishwasher. Under the pink paper, are the new, dark hardwood floors. The adjacent mudroom will house the new front loading washer/dryer with a swinging butler's door as the transition. The pantry door has a new cut out with textured glass cut out to allow natural light to filter from the small window located inside the pantry. A picture will follow when it is installed.

Next week, I am sure will be another busy one. Enjoy! For all you spell checkers, let me know when you come across more of my own creative words. Let me know some of yours. Yeah, yeah I already know about a previous entry where I referred to "dethaw." It made perfect cents in my head.....Gotcha! I mean scents, or is it since or is it sense?

The kitchen evolves....work continues....

Today as the temperatures were brisk but the sun was shining, the future kitchen of Russell Street began to take shape. The first view of new cabinets' foundation is very exciting. Today, most of the uppers were installed. The original front door and family room door were stripped and ready for stain. The plans are for them to be medium pecan stain to compliment the stone and crisp white paint. Outside again, we have a new back deck and side steps off of the french door in the kitchen. Painting continues and makes everything so fresh and new. David remarked today something I had not really thought about and that was, "You don't have a 1914 house, you have a 2008 house!" There is a lot of truth to his words. The next pictures posted will be the "smudge" grey kitchen cabinets.

Some pics...

Rainy Days and Rainy Nights....

If there was a rain gauge at Russell Street, I feel like it would read 432 inches! Well, not quite but the rain has halted some of the work being done. Outside painting is done minus the porch floor and railings. Inside the painters are working on the upstairs guest "white room" as we speak. It is looking great as it is to be all white from floor to ceiling. Baseboard molding is installed while the tile installers are finishing up the upstairs master shower. Another kudos to Mickey's team. Yesterday, I had appointments in Charlotte with two marble/granite warehouses and selected the white carrera marble for the kitchen counter tops. After numerous conversations of "Are you sure you want that?", I made the choice to just do it. Kitchen cabinets were to have been installed today but, again due to the rain, they are delayed until either a closed truck or sunny day. My money is on the, "better get a closed truck" because it feels like it will rain forever. The outside deck is started but again, no work today due to the rain. More pictures will be posted when there is a break in the clouds.

First Day of the New Year!!!!

Seven months ago, I closed on the property at 242 N. Russell Street. There is no stopping us now. The transformations are obvious. The interest and attention has been so appreciated and interesting. The wait is almost over. The end result is amazing. With the temperatures hovering around the 20-30 degree mark, the guys are working on the inside. The floor molding is quickly going up so the electricians can complete the hook-up of the baseboard electrical outlets. Painters are finishing up primer coats on the walls, doors, and staircase. Travis and the guys are installing bead board in the lower master bath. Tile is being installed from the baths to the kitchen. Cabinets, now the gray color has been selected are being installed this Monday. Plumbing fixtures are due in the next couple of weeks to finish off the baths and kitchen. The decision was made to leave the island in the cherry finish with the counter surface to be a black granite. Under the gray cabinets, I am 99% on board with my original desire for white carrara marble. Under some conflicting arguments against the white marble, I still feel it in my gut to do what I want to do. It is amazing what information you can obtain from blogs! Who would have thought you can type, "Why should I not use white carrara marble as my kitchen counter tops?" that it would yield so many responses and comments. It was very helpful and at this point, I will be visiting a supplier in Charlotte this Monday to look at white carrara marble as the choice for my kitchen counter tops. Travis has given me three choices for the wainscoting. Lots of details to follow as we narrow in on a finished project. Happy New Year to everyone.